1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a vial for storing a plurality of analyte test strips. More specifically, the present invention relates to a vial adapted to dispense analyte test strips in a controlled manner.
2. Background
Analyte test strips, such as those used by diabetics to test blood glucose levels, are typically distributed and stored in vials. Such vials are generally cylindrical containers with open ends closed by a cap. The inventors have found that users of standard vials experience difficulties in withdrawing a controlled number of test strips from within the container. Difficulties arise due to users' lack of dexterity and/or hand-eye coordination. For example, a problem arises when a user tilts the container to withdraw a single analyte test strip, but accidentally spills a much larger number of analyte test strips from the container.
For additional background information, reference is made to U.S. Patent Application Publication 2010/0000905.